Explore Scotland’s history – one pass covers over 60 sites including castles, abbeys, forts and more

Just one pass is all you need to be stepping in the footsteps of the past at fascinating historical sites such as Castle Campbell, Lochleven Castle, Fort George, Stanley Mills or The Blackhouse, Arnol. Learn more about how we lived, what we made and the battles that were fought, lost and won.

There are over 60 sites in total, and each pass is valid for 14 consecutive days, from your selected start date, making it fantastic value for money for the whole family.

Explorer Passes can be bought online, visitors are encouraged to book site visits online in advance to avoid disappointment.

Carers do not need an Explorer Pass, they can book a free carer ticket for each site they plan on visiting.

Start planning your voyage into Scotland’s rich history by purchasing a Historic Scotland Explorer Pass here today and check out some of the 60+ fascinating places you could be visiting below.

Exploring by region

Here we’ve picked out some of the sites you could be visiting this summer – click the links to discover more.

Central & West

Scotland has a rich industrial past and at Bonawe Historic Iron Furnace, where cannonballs used in the Napoleonic Wars were made, visitors can learn more about ironworks. You can imagine yourself among the heat and noise of Bonawe, the most complete charcoal-fuelled ironworks in Britain, and enjoy the site’s recently updated exhibition. Founded in 1753, it ceased firing only in the 1870s. And it’s stunning setting at the head of Loch Etive, near to Glen Nant National Nature Reserve, makes it a beautiful destination for a day out.

Or how about Castle Campbell in Clackmannanshire. Step into the world of the Campbells, one of Scotland’s most powerful clans. Castle Campbell is a dramatically positioned stronghold– high above Dollar Glen – with one of Scotland’s best-preserved tower houses, built back in the 1400s.

As well as being a stronghold this was also a home, and here you can stroll through the terraced gardens, where the Campbells will have walked before you.

Dumfries & Galloway

Its fairytale look makes Caerlaverock Castle a popular choice for film crews and visitors alike. With its wide moat, twin-towered gatehouse and lofty battlements Caerlaverock is every inch the epitome of a medieval stronghold. As a borders stronghold it’s had a turbulent history which visitors will learn all about, and you can make sure no stone is left unexplored with the Visitor Quest App.

New Abbey Corn Mill offers visitors a chance to really see the past. The last miller left the building more than 75 years ago, and buildings and machinery are all much as they left them. Join a guided tour to find out how it works and hear stories from some of the millers who worked there. The pretty village of New Abbey is worth a visit in itself, so this is truly a destination day out. Kingdom of Fife

The commanding Aberdour Castle, built in the 1100s, went on to serve generations of three noble families – including a Regent of Scotland.

The Douglas family left their mark, raising the height of the hall-house to make Aberdour into a more typical tower house castle and adding further ranges of buildings. Your Explorer Pass enables you to fully explore the impressive complex and its delightful walled garden and terraces.

Edinburgh & Lothians

For a taste of ancient history you can’t beat Cairnpapple Hill, a rare ceremonial site in the Bathgate Hills. For at least 4,000 years the broad summit of Cairnpapple Hill was a significant site for ceremonies and burials, with its henge dating from about 3800BC. Centuries later it was chosen for Bronze Age burials and much later still was a final resting place for Christians.

From the top of the hill, you can explore this rare Neolithic ceremonial monument and on a clear day admire the stunning views across the Forth Valley and beyond. There’s a fun fact-finding quiz to keep the little kids- and big ones – entertained and help them exploring the monument.

Glasgow, Clyde & Ayrshire

The circular tower of Bothwell Castle is without parallel in Scotland and draws visitors from far and wide. Built on a grand scale in the late 1200s the castle was fiercely fought over during the Wars of Independence with England and frequently passed back and forth between English and Scottish hands.

North & Grampian

Enjoy the grandeur of Duff House – this impressive early Georgian mansion – a must for art-lovers. Here you’ll learn of the tale of two Williams – William Duff, owner of Duff House, and William Adam, its architect. The two fell out over money during the creation of the property, leading to a five-year court case.

As home to noted art collectors, Duff House has long been adorned with magnificent paintings. It later became a Second World War camp. Today, Duff House is a country house gallery displaying collections from the National Galleries of Scotland.

Perthshire, Kinross & Angus

Follow in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots at these two impressive castles.

Head for Huntingtower Castle and explore where she and her new husband Lord Darnley stayed during the Chaseabout Raid – when they saw off a rebellion – and uncover some dramatic episodes in Scotland’s story.

Or journey to Lochleven Castle, the place where Mary Queen of Scots was once a guest, before her former host turned her jailer in 1567. She eventually escaped, never to see Scotland again. Here you can visit the tower house, and you can imagine her life incarcerated, fearful and sorrowful.

Scottish Borders

The Borders abbeys of Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Melrose make a superb day out.

Dryburgh Abbey is a remarkably complete medieval ruin by the River Tweed where you can really grasp the appeal of monastic life.

Built over more than 70 years, Jedburgh Abbey is striking for its unusual mix of Romanesque and early Gothic architecture. It contains some exceptional early Christian artefacts too.

Melrose Abbey was so beloved by Robert the Bruce, he chose it as the final resting place for his heart. The sites is a magnificent ruin on a grand scale, and it was a highly desirable place to be buried.

Western Isles

If you want to know what life was truly like for crofters living here a few generations ago then a visit to The Blackhouse, Arnol is a must. Here you can see the byre just as it was left in 1966, only without the cows. In the house you can smell the peat smoke – even today the fire at the heart of the Blackhouse is never allowed to go out- and peek inside the cosy box-beds in the bedroom, still complete with their original fabrics and furnishings.

Learn more about the dozens of other places you can visit this summer, and find out more about Historic Scotland’s Explorer Pass here.